Chioma Umeha

In line with its commitment to pro¬tect and educate consumers on the dangers of buying and using cheap substandard product, Dettol, one of the leading antiseptic brand from the stables of RB has further strengthened its partnership with the Nigerian Medi¬cal Association (NMA) at the associa-tion’s 55th Annual General Conference held in Ibadan.  Speaking during the conference, the Marketing Director, RB West Africa, Silivrili Oghuzan, said Dettol is most delighted to further strengthen our part¬nership with the Nigerian Medical As¬sociation to further promote safety and good health. He further explained: “Dettol has been consistently partnering with statu¬tory bodies within the health sector in¬cluding NMA, Ministry of Health, NAF¬DAC and local governments to educate consumers about the best hygiene prac¬tices and contribute to the health and wellbeing of families in Nigeria for the last 50 years.” Silivrili said Dettol’s on-going cam¬paign is focused on educating Nigerian families

Fifty paramedics drawn from An­glophone countries of Central and West Africa are met from 18 to 21 this month at the maiden edition of the International Course in Applied Nu­trition organised by the Nestlé Nutrition Institute Africa.  The theme of the train­ing was ‘The first 1000 days of life: Early Nutrition and long term health’. The meeting is in line with the com­mitment of Nestlé, one of the leading nu­trition, health and wellness company to provide education programmes for good nutrition and feeding practices and help healthcare professionals to have a greater impact on the nutritional aspects of care of future generations. In a statement from Nestlé Central & West Africa Region, Corporate Commu­nications & Public Affairs Department, Rizwan Yousuf, Category Manager, Nestlé Nutrition, Nestlé Nigeria, said: “We are convinced that good maternal nutrition during pregnancy, followed by exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months, is the best method to ensure a go

When you pick up a box of doughnuts or cookies, you are typically not surprised to see that the offering contains loads of sugar. However, there are also foods that aren’t typically thought of as overly sweet that actually pack a shocking sugar punch. A few things to always keep in mind: Be wary of a product that is labeled as nutritious, and do not assume   a food is low in sugar just because its brand sounds healthy. Here are   foods that are loaded with sugar.  Canned or packaged fruit  Make sure you do not assume that everything labeled as fruit is healthy. According to experts, packaged or canned fruit is packed with sugar, even those items with labels that say “in light syrup” or “made with real fruit.” This includes products like apple sauce, fruit chillers, and canned fruit. Specifically, experts have suggested keeping an eye packaged fruits, reasoning that they are in the same ballpark as a standard-size chocolate candy bar, which contains 27 grams of sugar.  Fl

A vaccine to help protect against some forms of cervical cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) has been on the market for years. But new research shows that a newer version, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December 2014, can prevent more than 80 per cent of cervical cancers.  The new 9-valent human papillomavirus vaccine, which guards against seven cancer-causing HPV types, also has the potential to protect against other cancers including anal, oral, and penile cancers. All of the HPV vaccines available defend against HPV types 16 and 18, which are known to cause about two-thirds of cervical cancers in the United States. The 9-valent vaccine also guards against five additional types of HPV, which combined cause about 15 per cent of cervical cancer cases. According to the National Cancer Institute, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the world. The virus causes nearly all forms of cervical cancer and five per cent of all cancers. 

Continued from last week...  Protein bars  If you rely on protein bars for the occasional meal or snack, it may be time to re-evaluate. Research shows that there are 20 grams of sugar in a Clif Builder’s Protein Bar. Many protein bars are advertised to be healthy options for diet-conscious people, but they’re usually packed with sugar and carbs. Need more proof? According to Women’s Health, a PowerBar Performance Energy Bar in Citrus Burst contains a staggering 29 grams of sugar.If your diet is already high in sugar, you may want to consider switching out your bars for raw almonds, peanuts, or seeds instead, according to Men’s Fitness. Also, always make sure to read labels first to ensure you are not buying a protein bar that is oozing with sugar and artificial ingredients.  Fruit juice  Juice is usually thought of as a healthy, good-for-you option. However, its sugar content can be through the roof. Take grape juice, for example. Women’s Health writes that an 8-oun

Studies have proved that skipping breakfast is dangerous to the health. Experts are worried over the rising number of people who miss breakfast in today’s society in view of its grave consequences. About 18 per cent of males and 13 percent of females between the ages of 35 and 54 are breakfast skippers, according to a 2011 study.  Benefits of breakfast:  Diabetes: Skipping breakfast may increase a woman’s diabetes risk, according to a study published recently, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Women who ate breakfast an average of zero to six times per week were at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than women who ate breakfast every day.  Heart disease: Eating breakfast was associated with a lower incidence of heart disease in men between ages 45 and 82, according to another study in the journal, Circulation. The study also found that skipping breakfast was associated with hypertension, insulin resistance and elevated blood sugar levels.  We

A dietician, Mr. Aloysius Maduforo, has said that drinking plenty of water will lower the risk of kidney stones. He made this known in Abuja. Maduforo said researchers have found out that drinking eight or more glasses of water daily reduces the risk of kidney stones significantly. He said: “The analysis shows that drinking water is an effective way to cut one’s risk for developing kidney stones. “Kidney stones cause significant discomfort and cost, along with a potential to contribute to the development of kidney disease. “So, the confirmation of reducing risk or prevention through improved hydration is an important finding,” Maduforo added. According to him, the current research looked at nine previous studies that included nearly 274,000 people with more than 550 people having a history of kidney stones. He said: “The review found that people who produced two to 2.5 litres of urine were 50 per cent less likely to form kidney stones than those who produced less urine

•Treatment of XDR-TB receives boost Strong indications have emerged showing that treatment of Tuberculosis (TB) patients that are already resistant to first and second-line drugs will be scaled up as Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) has announced that the first batch of drugs for Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB) has arrived in the country. The drugs were provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Statistics from the WHO show that an estimated nine million new cases of TB occur globally, out of which three million cases are missed, either not diagnosed, not treated or diagnosed but not registered by the National TB programmes (NTPs). Researchers at NIMR are worried that Nigeria remains among 11 high TB burden countries that contribute 15 per cent of the three million missed cases of TB, globally. Decrying that it is unacceptable that Nigeria ranks third among the 11 countries, they said despite control efforts by the Federal Government, Nigeri

Do not ignore the urge to have a bowel movement. When you have the urge to go, try not to put it off. Suppressing bowel movements will only put unnecessary burden on your digestive tract and nervous system. When both have worked hard to give you the urge to go, reward their efforts by going as soon as possible. Doing so will keep them alert and efficient. Why is it important to overcome and prevent constipation? This is because the health of your entire body depends largely on a clean and well functioning digestive passage way. If your digestive passage way is blocked and dysfunctional, you increase your risk of developing a wide variety of health challenges, including but not limited to the following: Hemorrhoids – enlarged veins in the rectal region Anal Fissures – cuts in and around the anal sphincter that can be extremely painful and difficult to heal Diverticulitis – inflamed pockets of weakened lining throughout the colon that can cause significant abdominal disc

God forbid. Ebola will not return to Nigeria! It is not our portion; Ebola cannot come back to Nigeria! God who saved us from the satanic disease called Ebola has finished his work. These were some of the exclamations by avid social media fans in Lagos who were reacting to the purported rumour of Ebola’s return to Nigeria last weekend.  The rumour, which began trending on the social media late on the night of Friday, April 10, caused an unusual stir among a wide section of the populace even as some residents threatened to leave the city. Reacting to the rumour, Edohasin Imako, a trader, said in smattering pidgin: “If Ebola don come back, I go dey do more business for Benin Republic than Nigeria, I no fit risk am ooh! Princewill Adoga, a public servant said: “Ebola again! That bad disease it is not easy to control; it was God that helped Nigeria last year. Let it just be ordinary rumour ooh! I don’t know where to run to with my children, if there is truth in the rumour.” It was lea